3 million phones sold in 55 days or 1 phone in every 1.5 seconds ! That too without releasing the device in US market. No one can deny the success of Samsung Galaxy S2. When it will be released in US (several variants depending on carrier), it is going to be a big success. The article lists 10 most possible reasons for the success of Galaxy S2. In short, you can consider it as ’10 reasons for buying the Samsung Galaxy S2′.

Please read 10 reasons for not buying an Apple iPhone 4 also

1. The 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus is nothing short of amazing!

Super AMOLED Plus technology is the best available technology for mobile displays. The images are sharp, blacks are true black (no backlighting) and colors are eye popping . It can make almost anything look better on the screen. Unlike the previous generation SAMOLED screen equipped in Galaxy S, sAMOLED+ consists of conventional RGB matrix, which makes the display sharper as well – you can even read the smallest of text.

As Samsung is the only manufacturer of Super AMOLED displays, you need to make a choice. If you want to experience the best screen there is no other choice in the market (not forgetting Nokia’s Clear Black AMOLED which is also promising but the current devices with Symbian or Meego platform doesn’t have a bright future as Nokia officially embraced WP7). Also, the 15:9 aspect ratio of the device is more suitable for playing HD content than the 3:2 aspect ratio of iPhones.

2. Processing power, RAM, Storage and other bells and whistles

Galaxy S2 is equipped with Samsung’s own Exynos processor (previously know as Orion) which is a dual core processor based System on Chip (SoC) with with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz. It is backed by a Mali 400 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. This is almost equal to the processing power of a desktop machine. The result is, you can play even full HD videos smoothly. There is no other device at present which allows full HD video playback even inside Adobe Flash player.

The only device that can match the specs of Galaxy S2 at least in paper is the HTC Sensation. But in most benchmarks Galaxy S2 wins hands down (There are some devices with 1.5 GHz dual core is expected. But it won’t be released before the 4th quarter)

The phone is equipped with 16/32 GB of internal storage (though the 32 GB version is yet to be released) and comes with a micro SD slot to extend the storage up to a whopping 64 GB (32 GB + 32 GB).

In addition to a GPS receiver, proximity sensor and accelerometer it also includes a gyroscope for optimal motion tracking.

3. Excellent Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy S2 comes with amazing connectivity options. It does support 3G data speeds up to 21 Mbps (HSPA + networks), Bluetooth 3.0+HS transfer, Wifi Direct, Allshare (DLNA) and HDMI through MHL.

Unlike Apple iOS, where you can’t even transfer the pictures taken with the camera through bluetooth, there is no restriction here. You can transfer files through highspeed Bluetooh (it is the only device at present that supports true 3.0+HS standard), or Wifi Direct. Using Allshare, you will be able to stream multimedia content wirelessly to any device that supports DLNA (you can use XBMC media center software in your computer as well). Kies Air enables you to manage the phone content wirelessly without any software or driver. It also supports Usb on-the-go so that you can connect other USB storage devices directly to the phone.

4. Excellent Camera

The 8MP camera sensor can capture full HD videos (1920 x 1080px) and good quality images. It may not be the best camera (Nokia N8′s 12MP camera is still the best camera equipped in a mobile), but definitely one of the better mobile cameras. Samsung also listened to the users’ feedback and added an LED flash (at least it can be used as an emergency torch light).

5. Responsive UI

Samsung finally made the TouchWiz UI right. It was a bit buggy on the Galaxy S, but the new TouhWiz 4.0 is stable and usable. Because of the extensive processing power, the UI feels very responsive and fluid. My Galaxy S2 didn’t hang even once since I bought it (more than 1 month) while my friend’s Galaxy S is hanging frequently.

6. Form factor

You’ve to hold it to understand how thin and light is the phone. It is comfortable to hold and doesn’t create a bulge in your pocket. Also, the matte finish of the back is a welcome change. Yes, the body is plastic but it does not feel cheap and using of metal would have made the phone a lot heavier.

7. Android OS

In a recent survey conducted in US, most people voted Android as the most sought after mobile OS. The Android Marketplace is growing at a great pace and at this speed, it will catch up with Apple Appstore very soon. Also the architecture of the OS allows for maximum customization. With the next Android version (2.4 -Ice cream Sandwich), the OS will be more functional and will feature more fluid interface. Also, unlike Apples’s Appstore, the Android Market is more open to developers and there are lot of quality applications available for free.

8. Value for money pricing

Unlike Apple, Samsung produces amazing technology at affordable price. At around 29K Rs (650USD) this phone is a steal. You need to consider, the more than one year old, single core Apple iPhone 4 costs significantly more ( retails for 33 K + in India) (You might want to read my other article, 10 reasons for not buying an Apple iPhone 4)

9. Frequent firmware updates

Contrary to what people says in some forums, Samsung always provided firmware updates at regular intervals for their high end Galaxy series. Be it Galaxy S or Galaxy S2, be confident that you will get the latest Android build before most of the other manufacturers (HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson etc).

If you’re in US, the firmware may be delayed because of the carrier customization. In markets like India, where phones are sold unlocked by default, there is no issue and you can be confident that you will get the latest updates. There is already a leaked firmware based on the latest Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 which enables video support in Google Talk and significantly improves the battery life. It will be official soon.

10. Universal availability

Unlike iPhone (Apple released iPhone 4 in India just recently), Samsung Galaxy S2 is available in almost all countries where the phone can be sold factory unlocked.

At least in US, where the phones are locked to a carrier, just like the previous generation Galaxy S, Galaxy S2 will have several variants. So, regardless of carrier, you will be able to pick your Galaxy S2 variant. Unlike iPhone which is only available through AT & T and Verizon, you will be able to experience Galaxy S2 without changing your service provider.

If you’ve already bought the device, you can be proud that you own the most powerful mobile phone ever released and it will continue for at least 2 – 3 months that way. Apple iPhone 5 is around the corner, but don’t think it will cross the clock speed of 1 GHz (it may be the same Apple A5 SoC that is used in iPad 2). Also, there are some rumors about 1.5 GHz dual core phones from Sony Ericsson, but don’t expect them before 4^th quarter.

Related posts:

1. 10 reasons for not buying an Apple iPhone 4
2. Proud Owner of a Samsung Omnia I8910 HD
3. Why am I excited so much about the Galaxy S II?

If you still want better value for money, just choose the LCD version of Galaxy S – the Galaxy SL I9003 at just 19K.

Interestingly, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, Neo and Play are available for pre-order but Galaxy S2 is not.

(click on the images to check items in FlipKart.com)

Related posts:

1. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play and Xperia Arc available in FlipKart
2. Galaxy S II – The dream come true!
3. Why am I excited so much about the Galaxy S II?

Samsung has unveiled the successor to the Galaxy S and named it Galaxy S II (I9100 Galaxy S II to be precise). They’ve also announced that this phone will be available in Asia from this month itself. I am eagerly waiting to buy one as soon as it is available. Following are the features that excites me most.

Super AMOLED Plus

Super AMOLED Plus is the 3rd generation AMOLED(Active Matrix Organic LED)  display developed by Samsung. AMOLED displays are known for its deep black, excellent contrast and vibrant colors. The Super AMOLED Plus enhances the already excellent Super AMOLED technology to even greater levels. With 4.27 inches of Super AMOLED Plus goodness, the Galaxy SII has the best display in a mobile phone. It is sharp as an IPS LCD panel (like the one in iPhone) and has vibrant and rich colors as a SAMOLED (like the one in Galaxy S). Also, the screen utilizes the Gorilla glass technology which makes it scratch resistant and almost impossible to break.

Performance

Galaxy S II features a dual core mobile processor running at 1 GHz. But unlike other dual core phones which uses the nVidia’s Tegra 2 System on Chip, Galaxy S II uses Samsung’s own Exynos processor (previously know as Orion) with a very powerful GPU (Mali 400) which is even better than the one in Tegra 2(theoretically, at least). Also it features 1 GB RAM which is excellent (The LG Optimus 2X has only 512 MB).

Full HD video capture and playback

This phone features full HD (1920 x 1080)video recording and the initial samples shows that the quality is excellent. GSMArena has already  did some test and they are very impressed about the quality.

See the test video (you’ll need to select 1080p to check the full HD version)

Galaxy S II also features full HD video playback. Samsung’s custom player will be able to play almost all kind of video formats including the matroska (MKV) one. So there won’t be any cumbersome video transcoding. Download, copy to your phone and just watch it. The player will even have subtitle support. Watching HD videos on this phone will be amazing – deep black colors, excellent contrasts, vibrant colors… mouthwatering stuff.

Form factor & Build quality

It is the slimmest smartphone and even with the 4.3 inch screen it just weighs 116g. Build quality is not Samsung’s cup of tea but even then, it is better than the previous Galaxy S. The textured back panel and slimness makes it unique.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Touch Wiz 4.0

Unlike many other phone (eg: the Atrix 4G), this phone ships with the latest Anroid build – Gingerbread. Gingerbread has done many optimizations and is more faster than the previous Android version(Froyo). The UI is also a little more polished.

Touch Wiz 4.0 is the latest customization from Samsung and it is better than the previous ones.

HSPA + (21 Mbps)

I think this is the first smart phone in Indian market to offer this kind of 3G speed. Now you can test the service provider’s claim about theri high speed 3G networks.

Hubs

Samsung has provided 4 hubs for better usability.

The Social Hub integrates messaging, call history, social networks sites etc so that user can check everything in one place.

The  Game Hub lets you to download high quality games (12 social network games and 13 premium games including Gameloft’s Let Golf 2 and Real Football 2011 promised already). The phone has gyroscope for precise motion sensing. Samsung will host the games and there won’t be any file size limitation. It will enable the developer to create games with high quality textures and graphics.

The Reader’s Hub lets you purchase ebooks and magazines from a vast collection(2,500 magazines in 20 languages and 1,600 of newspapers in 47 languages). Samsung’s Super AMOLED plus will make reading a better experience in the galaxy S II

Music Hub will enable you to search, discover, preview, purchase and download tracks on the go. The app will also provide rich information on purchases, with access to all the artists, lyrics and reviews you desire. The music player will also support bass enhancement and 5.1 channel sound.

Great storage capacity

The phone will be shipped with either 16 GB or 32GB internal memory (same as the iPhone 4). Additionally you can expand it with a micro SD card making the total capacity to a whopping 64 GB (32 GB internal + 32 GB micro SD).

1650 mAh battery

Samsung has given a better battery than the previous Gaglaxy S (1500 mAh). With the more power efficient Super AMOLED Plus screen, the battery is going to last longer.

Other interesting features

There are also some other interesting features in the equipment list like the NFC chip (optional).

• 8MP camera with LED flash
• WiFi Direct (can connect to another wifi device without an access point)
• NFC chip like the Google Nexus S (probably optional)
• Allshare/DLNA (Streaming HD content over WiFi)
• Kies Air ( Wireless syncing)
• Voice recognition
• On device hardware encryption for better security
• Other enterprise security features

Pricing

Samsung hasn’t announced the price yet. But I am positive here because Samsung has a good history for value pricing – for eg: Omnia HD, Galaxy S, Omnia 7 etc. All those phones were priced lower when comparing to others. For the hardware, I think, 30,000 Rs (for the 16 GB version) will be an excellent value for money pricing. I am ready to spend up to 35 K for this phone though.

Some online stores in UK has published a pre launch price which is around 600 Euros (around 33,000 INR). Waiting with  fingers crossed!

Related posts:

1. Galaxy S II – The dream come true!
2. Ten reasons for buying the Samsung Galaxy SII
3. Galaxy S is available in FlipKart?

Today Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S successor – the Galaxy S II (it is not written as Galaxy S 2) and this is really a dream come true device. 4.3 inches (4.27 inches to be precise) of Super AMOLED Plus display is gorgeous. The other specs are also excellent. The main specs are

• 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display with WVGA (800 X 480 px) resolution. Gorilla Glass protection
• 1 GHz dual core processor (Most probably the latest Samsung Exynos)
• 1 GB RAM
• The latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung’s Touch Wiz 4.0
• 8 MP rear camera wit full HD (1080P) video recording and 2 MP front facing camera for video call
• Thinnest phone with just 8.49 mm thickness (mind you, iPhone 4 is 9.3 mm)
• Wireless a/b/g/n with Bluetooth 3.0 HS (it promises the true Bluetooth 3.0 speed)
• 16 GB internal memory with micro SD slot (another 32 GB possible)
• HSPA + (24 Mbps download speed. Now we might be able to test TATA Docomo’s claim of 24 Mbps download speed on their 3G network)
• HDMI port
  

Photos

Videos

Full specs at GsmArena
More photos from Engadget
Official Samsung Press release

The best thing is, it is launching in Asia (hopefully that includes India) in this month itself. So, most probably by March 2011 it will be available in stores. Not sure about the price. But Samsung has an excellent history of value pricing. I would be going for this one as soon as it is available (insha Allah) even if the pricing is a bit high (Please Sammy, bring it under 35 K). Counting days … fortunately February has only 28 days

Related posts:

1. Why am I excited so much about the Galaxy S II?
2. Ten reasons for buying the Samsung Galaxy SII
3. Galaxy S is available in FlipKart?

• Windows Phone 7 becomes the primary smartphone OS for Nokia
• Nokia OVI Maps will become a core part of Microsoft’s Bing mapping services
• The present Nokia Ovi Store will be merged into the Microsoft  Marketplace
• Nokia will work closely with Microsoft in the future development of the Windows Phone 7 platform by using its expertise on hardware optimization, software customization, language support and scale

Stephen Elop (CEO, Nokia) and Steve Ballmer (CEO, Microsoft) penned together that,

“There are other mobile ecosystems. We will disrupt them. There will be challenges. We will overcome them. Success requires speed. We will be swift. Together, we see the opportunity, and we have the will, the resources and the drive to succeed.”

Future of Symbian & Meego

Nokia promised it will continue Symbian  support  and Meego will become open source. We can also expect a Meego device later this year.

“Symbian becomes a franchise platform, leveraging previous investments to harvest additional value. This strategy recognizes the opportunity to retain and transition the installed base of 200 million Symbian owners. Nokia expects to sell approximately 150 million more Symbian devices in the years to come”

“Under the new strategy, MeeGo becomes an open-source, mobile operating system project. MeeGo will place increased emphasis on longer-term market exploration of next-generation devices, platforms and user experiences. Nokia still plans to ship a MeeGo-related product later this year.”

Whatever Nokia says, Symbian is going to be dead. May be by 2012, there won’t be any Symbian phones (unless some other big company decides to use the open source Symbian which is unlikely). This is also the case with MeeGo. Other than the promised MeeGo device by end of this year, there won’t be any. One unlikely chance is, Nokia may use this platform for tablets.

Future of Qt (cute) platform

Nokia made clear that it is not possible to develop applications for Nokia Windows Phone using Qt. They will need to use the Windows Phone Developer Tools (Visual Studio 2010, Expression, Silverlight and the XNA Framework) to develop WP7 applications. Qt may be continued to use to develop in Symbian and MeeGo platforms. Once the Symbian and MeeGo developments are stopped, Qt will also become dead.

What can we expect?

Nokia is known for its build quality and imaging strengths. It will be very interesting to see the power of Nokia N8′s 12 MP camera in a Windows Phone 7 device. I think Nokia made the right decision to join hands with Microsoft. It is said that Nokia has given some exclusive rights to customize the OS (no other manufacturer has the right to customize the Windows Phone UI) though extensive customization is unlikely. Microsoft also has some advantages because Nokia is a renowned brand in many countries and it will surely help the WP7 platform in its growth.

One thing is fore sure, WP7 platform is here to stay. With Microsoft’s software technology and Nokia to back up the platform with proper hardware, Windows Phone 7 platform has a good chance to fight against the existing platform giants like Google Android and Apple iOS. The best part is, these war will surely benefit the end user. As the end user we’ll have the option to select the best phone from a variety of platforms and devices.

This year is really interesting!

Related posts:

1. Will Microsoft Windows Phone 7 sales beat Apple iPhone’s?
2. Look, who is tweeting… it is Microsoft
3. Which smart phone to buy in 2011?

I am closely watching the mobile market and developments for the past 1 – 2 months and I have almost made my decision. I am publishing my thought process of selecting the best mobile. Hope it will be useful to someone who is also planning to buy a new smart phone.

Dual core or Single core?

This year will be the beginning of dual core processors. LG, Samsung, Motorola etc are already announced their dual core based mobiles. LG will even start selling the first dual core phone based on the Tegra 2 System on Chip platform very soon. So, I don’t think it is wise to buy a single core processor.

AMOLED or normal LCD?

AMOLED techonology is here to stay. Once you experience the contrast and vibrant rich colors, there is no going back to a normal LCD screen(even if it is Apple’s high resolution retina display). Samsung has already produced three generations of AMOLED (AMOLED, Super AMOLED and Super AMOLED Plus).  Nokia has also developed a clear Black AMOLED screen which is used in their C6-01 mobile phones. The only issue with AMOLED is, there is a shortage because of the huge demand for it and many devices were stopped or changed screen (Eg: Samsung Wave S8500, HTC Desire etc). Samsung promises they will fix this by making the production 1oX  by opening a $2.1 billion factory.

Platforms / Phones considered

iOS / iPhone 4

This is not yet officially available in India. Unlocked versions are available from ebay for 36K and above. I don’t find this price justifiable. Also, I won’t get any warranty. Yes, it has one of the best screen (I would still prefer the Super AMOLED display of Samsung) and this platform has some nice applications but I would rather buy the latest generation iPod Touch for 12K and a basic phone with a GPS. iPod Touch has almost all the features of iPhone4 (except GPS and phone) and is available at 1/4 of the price of an iPhone.

iPhone 5 may be released in June and might feature a 4″ SAMOLED screen, but again the availability and price won’t be good. Hence NO IPHONE.

Android

Android is improved a lot and it has very good usability. The interface may be a bit unpolished visually (only in some areas) when comparing to iOS. But still, in many areas, Android exceeds iOS (customization, openness, number of free apps).  With the latest Honeycomb build (Android 3.0), Android will take advantage of dual core mobile processors as well. Also, the Android market has a great number of applications. So I am surely considering this platform.

Phones to consider in this platform

Samsung Galaxy S

I was trying to buy it in the previous month (tried several mobile stores and online shopping sites). But there were no stocks available and it was rumored that it is no longer in production. It was available on ebay but I didn’t buy it because at that time Samsung has already announced the new Galaxy S2 with dual core processor and several new mobiles were also announced at the Consumer Electronic Show 2011.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

It is a beautifully designed mobile with Sony’s proprietary Mobile Bravia engine which promises excellent image quality for photos and videos. GsmArena has already did a review of the preview unit and it was satisfying. The camera quality is also nice. But it has some disadvantages like the following.

• No dual core processor
• Bravia engine is nice but the LCD screen is still not good as the Super AMOLED or Super AMOLED plus

LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black

Optimus 2X is expected to be in sales very soon and it will become the first mobile with a dual core processor (Tegra2 System On Chip) with Full HD video playback and recording. Optimus Black is claiming a very bright screen and thin profile. But I may not be buying this because there is no going back from an AMOLED to a regular LCD screen.

Galaxy S2

The rumored specs are mind blowing – Samsung’s Orion dual core SoC (System on Chip) which is even better than nVidia’s Tegra2, 4.3 inches of next generation Super AMOLED Plus screen etc. Samsung will officially announce the mobile on Feb 13th. They have already published some teaser videos.

Not sure when this will be available in India. Most probably this will be available from June as the previous Galaxy S. Can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Windows Phone 7

The coolest mobile OS is no longer the Apple iOS. The Windows Phone 7 interface is entirely different than any of the existing platforms and this time Microsoft made it right. It is the best mobile OS in terms of looks. It also has a promising appstore which is growing rapidly.

Yes, there are some downsides like lack of features like copy/paste, multitasking etc. But all these will be incorporated in the near future through several updates (Microsoft has already announced the first major update which promises copy/paste, faster app loading etc in the first quarter – most probably at Mobile World Congress held on Feb 2011).

Phones to consider in WP7 platform

Omnia 7

Windows Phone 7 UI should be experienced in this mobile. The Super AMOLED screen makes the already cool WP7 interface to another level (especially the dark theme). This mobile is not yet released in India and I am eagerly waiting for that moment. I’ve already made some inquiries to Samsung customer care and they didn’t give me a clear picture.

You can a watch  review here.

HTC HD7

The 4.3” HTC device is good but the screen quality is not comparable to Omnia 7.

Other interesting mobile phones

Motorola Atrix 4G – Another dual core SoC mobile. But as it is carrier specific, it won’t be released in India (may be Motorola will announce a global phone with similar specs)
Samsung Infuse 4G – 4.5 inches of Super AMOLED Plus screen. But no dual core (1.2 GHz processor) and carrier specific.

So, what to buy?

Well, many people have some bad experience with Samsung after sale supports (For eg: Omnia HD which didn’t have any support).  But I believe that Samsung can deliver great phones at a reasonable price because they manufacture almost all parts of the mobile (from the Super AMOLED screen to memory to processor). One area where they need to improve is the design and build quality.

So I am buying 2 mobiles instead of one in this year.

Samsung Omina 7 when it is released (hope it will be released in Feb) just for the WP7 experience
Samsung Galaxy S2 (for the hardware and Android applications)

The hard part was to convince my wife about buying two expensive mobiles. I had to promise her that I would be writing lot of application reviews and publishing it on my blog so that I can earn some revenue from it

If you have any queries, please feel free to post it as comments. I would be glad to help you to find your perfect smart phone.

Related posts:

1. 20 must have free games for your high end Android smart phone
2. Will Microsoft Windows Phone 7 sales beat Apple iPhone’s?
3. Why am I excited so much about the Galaxy S II?

Main features

• 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen with 640 X 360 pixel resolution (16:9 widescreen) – Simply gorgeous!
• 256 MB RAM, 600 MHz processor with PowerVR SGX graphics
• 8 MP still camera with image stabilization, smile shot, face detection, blink detection, geo tagging, high ISO (up to 1600)
• World’s first High Definition video recording in a mobile device (1280×720)
• 16 GB memory (8GB is also available) with micro SD slot (up to 32 GB)
• Stereo speakers with DNSe 2.0 (Digital Natural Sound Engine) and Virtual 5.1 channel Dolby surround
• Flash support in browser
• GPS, Digital Compass
• Wi-fi, DLNA, bluetooth 2.0, 3G (HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps)
• Battery standby time of almost 26 Days (600 hours)
• Accelerometer sensor, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Scratch-resistant surface

I had 5 phones in my list when thought about buying a new phone. They were

1. iPhone 3G
2. iPhone 3GS
3. Nokia N97
4. Samsung I8000 Omnia II
5. Samsung Omnia I8910 HD

I am listing the pros and cons of each phone and matching it with the Samsung Omnia I8910 HD. I hope this will be useful for anyone searching for a new phone. (Sorry for the long post, but I couldn’t make it any shorter)

iPhone 3G and iphone 3GS

My budget was around 30,000 Rs. The old iPhone 3G with an 8 GB version would’ve cost me 29,000 and was definitely within the budget. But when compared with Omnia i8910 HD, the phone lacks many features.

Advantages of Omnia HD over iPhone 3G

1. Better still and video camera – Iphone 3G has only 2 Mega Pixel camera and no native video recording support. Compare that with the 8MP camera of Omnia HD. Quality wise, it is definitely one of the best camera equipped in a mobile phone and features face detection, smile detection, blink detection, image stabilization, wide dynamic range, high ISO(up to 1600), geo tagging etc. And the best part is yet to come -  It is the first mobile phone which features High Definition (HD – 720 P means a resolution of 1280 x 720 px) video recording.
2. Better screen – Omnia i8910 has an AMOLED  screen with a resolution of 360 x 640 px 16:9 widescreen where iPhone has a 320 x 480 pixels resolution. The AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic LED) enables more appealing colors and brightness with better battery life.
3. Better sound – Omnia i8910 HD is equipped with stereo speakers (the speakers are located in the extreme ends which results good stereo sound out of the box) and DNSe 2.0 sound processor with virtual 5.1 channel Dolby surround.
4. Better processor – Samsung i8910 Omnia HD has the more powerful ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor with PowerVR SGX graphics while iPhone 3G has a slower ARM 11 412 MHz processor.
5. Better memory – The i8910 HD is equipped with 256 MB RAM. For storage, it has 8GB / 16 GB onboard memory and supports microSD cards up to 32 GB making a whopping total of 48 GB. iPhone 3G has only 128 MB of RAM and for storage it has 8GB/16GB onboard memory. However, there is no external memory slot available. Also, even the 8GB iPhone version costs more than a 16GB Samsung Omnia HD.
6. Outstanding battery life – The i8910 Omnia HD, equipped with a 1500 mAh battery, has a whopping standby time of 25 – 26 days on a normal (2G) network.
7. Better multimedia support – The i8910 HD supports almost all video formats (DiVX/XviD/WMV/RV/MP4/3GP) and sound formats( MP3 / WMA / WAV / RA/  AAC / M4A ). So unlike iPhone, you don’t need to convert media files. Just copy the files to your phone and enjoy.
8. Stereo FM radio with RDS – In India, the data charges are usually high and bandwidth is less. So internet streaming radio is still not an option for Indian customers.  Unlike iPhone, you can enjoy FM radio stations with the i8910 Omnia HD.
9. Can do multitasking – In iPhone you can only run very limited applications simultaneously (Like iPod & Safari). But the Omnia HD allows heavy multitasking with its large memory and powerful processor.
10. . Unrestricted Bluetooth 2.0 – Unlike iPhone, you can have full Bluetooth support. You can send/receive files, business cards etc.
11. Full flash support in browser – Unlike iPhone, the browser has full support for Flash
12. More value for money – Omnia HD is also equipped with a digital compass and Route 66 application for navigation (License for two years). With all these features, it still costs significantly lesser than the old iPhone 3G

Please check full comparison (GSM Arena) of Omnia i8910 HD vs Iphone 3G

iPhone 3GS

When comparing with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S has definitely some advantages – better camera with touch focus, video support, digital compass. But can iPhone 3GS match the features of Samsung Omnia i8910 HD? Let’s find out.

The following are the areas where iPhone 3GS has improved. Lets discuss each.

Camera – Though iPhone 3G S has a better 3MP camera when compared with iPhone 3G, it is still ‘no match’ for Omnia i8910 HD’s 8 MP camera. Omnia HD camera is also equipped with a plethora of features like face detection, blink detection, image stabilization, smile shutter, wide dynamic range, high ISO up to 1600, panoramic mode etc. Omnia i8910 HD clearly wins in video department as well. HD video recording, slow motion recording etc are something that the iPhone 3GS can’t do.

Processor and memory – The iPhone 3G S is equipped with the same or similar processor and memory as i8910 HD. For storage, the 3GS has 16 GB / 32 GB options – but not expandable. Omnia i8910 HD can have more storage – 16 GB onboard + 32 GB expandable =  48 GB. So Omnia i8910 has a slight advantage here.

Price – iPhone is not officially available in India. You can find unlocked phones in ebay and some mobile stores. The price ranges from 45,000 Rs to 55,000 Rs. Yes, you can almost buy a MacBook for the price. It is definitely not value for money. You can have Omnia i8910 for almost half the price with more features.

Full comparison of I8910 HD and iPhone 3GS

Advantages of iPhone 3G /3G S

1. The iPhone OS is more polished and usable – This is an area where Symbian needs to improve. The S60 5th edition  running on Symbian 9.4 OS is just a touch compatible interface while the iPhone OS is optimized and designed for touch usage.
2. Multi-touch screen – You will miss the multi-touch gestures in iPhone/iPod Touch in Omnia i8910 HD, especially with images. However the default browser has a good alternative. Touch the screen for 2-3 seconds and the zoom is activated and by moving the finger up/down the zoom can be controlled. I think, the same option should have been applied with images as well. But apart from that you can’t feel much difference as the i8910 Omnia HD has a good responsive capacitive touch screen optimized for fingers.
3. Outstanding application availability – The iPhone application store is flooded with thousands of applications and most probably, you can find more than one application for any single task. Though the Samsung Omnia i8910 HD is equipped with all applications that you might need – it is almost complete with Office document viewer, dictionary, media upload application – finding new applications can be a little difficult. Nokia OVI store has a decent number of applications but does not directly support Omnia HD (though there are methods to hack this).  Samsung has started an application store, but the support for Omnia i8910 is yet to come. Hopefully, Samsung store will support this model soon. Also, a little bit of googling will help you to find applications.

My Decision

As I’ve pointed out Samsung Omnia I8910 HD is equipped with lots of features and iPhone 3G can’t match it. Also, for the price of an 8 GB iPhone 3G (29K) you can buy an Omnia HD with 24 GB (16 GB internal – 28K + 8 GB SD card – 1K ). So I had no problem removing iPhone 3G from my list.

Though iPhone 3G S is better in terms of performance and hardware when comparing with the older iphone 3G, it still can’t compete with the feature loaded Samsung i8910 Omnia HD. Also, the price is a big let down. Simply, the phone is not worth it. An Ipod Touch with similar features is available around 12 K. Now, what extras are there in the iPhone 3G S ? A camera, GPS, and phone. But price is almost 4 times of an iPod touch. How can any one justify the price?

Nokia N97

Nokia N97 is another touch screen mobile running on the same S60 Fifth edition. Certainly this phone has some good features like 32 GB onboard memory plus expansion slot. It also has a physical full QWERTY keypad.

Advantages of Samsung Omnia i8910 over Nokia N97

1. Camera – i8910 HD has better still and video camera when compared to the 5MP camera of Nokia N97.
2. Better screen – Though Nokia N97 also features a similar resolution screen, the technology is different. It uses normal TFT while i8910 is powered by AMOLED. Watching images and videos in this screen is simply great.
3. Better RAM and processor – Nokia N97 is low on RAM (128 MB) and processing power (ARM 11 434 MHz processor) when compared to I8910 HD.
4. Capacitive touch screen – While resistive touch screen is good for stylus operation it is not that good for thumb operation. For thumb operation, the i8910 HD is better as it has a capacitive touch screen.

Advantages of Nokia N97

1. Nokia OVI store – It has a decent number of applications for download from the OVI store.
2. Full QWERTY keypad – Nokia N97 features a full QWERTY keypad which makes it more suitable to business users.

Full comparison of I8910 HD and Nokia N97

My Decision

Though a full QWERTY keypad is an advantage, it makes the phone more oriented to business usage rather than multimedia. Also, the resistive touch screen technology is not optimized for thumb operation. Though it runs the same Symbian OS, Samsung has the touchWiz UI running on top of it which makes the interface more pleasant. Another deciding factor was of course the camera and screen quality. So now, only the two Omnias remain in the list.

Samsung I8000 Omnia II

Omnia 2 is released after the Omnia HD. The main difference is the Operating system. Omnia 2 has the  latest Windows Mobile 6.5 and it runs the touchWiz on top of it (which can be turned off if required) and the interface almost looks like that of an Omnia I8910 HD.

Advantages of Omnia HD

1. Camera – The camera in Omnia 2 is a 5MP one and there is no HD video recording.
2. Better color depth – Though the Omnia 2 has a better resolution and same AMOLED screen, the color depth is only 65K instead of 16 Million as in Omnia i8910 HD. This may not be differentiated normally, but gradient background may not look good.
3. Capacitive touch screen – The Samsung I8000 Omnia II is rather optimized for stylus usage as it comes with a resistive touch screen.
4. Better battery life – Though both batteries have similar ratings, the I8910 Omnia HD lasts longer as Symbian is not as resource hungry as Windows Mobile
5. Digital Compass – Digital compass is not present in the Omnia 2

Advantages of I8000 Omnia II

1. Better screen resolution – Though both features same AMOLED 3.7 inch screen, the Omnia 2 features a higher resolution (480 x 800 pixels) but sacrificing color depth.
2. Slightly better processor – The Omnia II is equipped with slightly better processor (some site reports it is 667 MHz while some other mention it as 800 MHz).

Full comparison of Omnia I8910 HD and Omnia I8000 Omnia2

My Decision

Though, it was a close battle between the two Omnias, I was more attracted to the Omnia HD because of the following reasons.

• Better still camera with higher Mega pixel rating ( 8MP vs 5 MP)
• Better video camera with HD recording
• Capacitive screen optimized for thumb operation
• Better color depth and the right resolution to watch movies and pictures
• Though the Omnia HD has a slightly lower clocked processor compared to Omnia 2, it is still a higher end processor for a Symbian device (as it is not resource hungry as Windows Mobile).
• Personally I am not a big fan of Windows or Windows Mobile

Conclusion

After a lot of research, I settled for the Samsung Omnia I8910 HD 16GB version and bought the phone for around Rs 28,500 with 5% cash back offer. The screen is really great to watch movies and photos. The HD video recording produced excellent quality video – though sometimes at a dropped frame rate. The still camera  is excellent with almost all the features available in a point and shoot camera. It has face detection, smile detection, image stabilization etc. Also there is a panorama made which can be used to take good quality panoramic pictures effortlessly. The phone has almost everything preinstalled so that you rarely need to install any other application. It is almost complete with a good dictionary, Office document viewer, media uploader, podcasts, a video player with subtitle support, a browser with full flash support etc. Also, firmware updates bringing some enhancement to the features like 3D task switcher, kinetic scrolling (like iPhone) in browser etc.

But if you want to install other applications, you might need to do some googling as the phone is not directly compatible with Nokia OVI store (well, there are some hacks). Samsung application store also does not support this phone. May be they will support this phone soon. (I am planning to do a separate post on the available applications soon)

After using the phone for two weeks I don’t have much to complain, in fact I am really proud of my phone – an unmatchable screen and the first (and the only, right now) high definition video camera in a mobile. Truly high end stuff with true value for money price. I will recommend this phone to anyone who needs the best multimedia phone.

But as I am an Ipod touch user, I miss those multi touch gestures sometimes – especially with images. Also, I feel, the S60 5th edition is not the best OS in terms of touch usability. It is a normal OS which was made ‘touch compatible’ – not designed or optimized for touch usage. I couldn’t stop wishing if this phone was on the Android platform!  I think, Android is the only platform which can compete with or probably overcome the usability and application support of iPhone OS. Insha Allah, my next mobile will be running on the Android platform

Thanks for reading this long post. Please post your comments and thoughts.

Related posts:

1. Samsung Application Store Finally Supports i8910 Omnia HD
2. Ten reasons for buying the Samsung Galaxy SII
3. Can I ever buy an iPhone (3G or 3GS) at a decent price in India?

According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), specific absorption rate, or SAR, is “a way of measuring the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body.” For a phone to pass FCC certification, that phone’s maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6W/kg (watts per kilogram). In Europe, the level is capped at 2W/kg while Canada allows a maximum of 1.6W/kg. The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC. Keep in mind that it is possible for the SAR level to vary between different transmission bands and that different testing bodies can obtain different results. Also, it’s possible for results to vary between different editions of the same phone (such as a handset that’s offered by multiple carriers)

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